2014 Consultations - Meeting Summaries - Winnipeg Police Board · 2018-04-27 · 2014 Public...

2014 Public Consultations - District 1 Meeting Summary Millennium Public Library- Carol Shields Auditorium, August 13, 2014

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ATTENDANCE

22 community members

Also present;

Winnipeg Police Board Winnipeg Police Service

Don Norquay

Scott Fielding

Paul Edwards

Mary Jane Loustel

Leslie Spillet

Chief Devon Clunis

Deputy Chief Art Stannard

Inspector Scott Halley

Superintendent Bruce Ormiston

Superintendent Bill Fogg

Pat de Jong

Adrian May

Maureen Musgrove

MNP Facilitators

OPEN Q & A

1. Do these consultation sessions only involve Winnipeg? What about the rest of the province?

2. There is a Vulnerable Persons Act and there used to be a vulnerable persons coordinator in the

WPS. Could this position be better utilized for non-criminal incidents? What kind of funding is

available for this type of work / unit?

3. Few of the people who work within social work understand the issues associated with mental

health and how to assist sufferers. We need more coordination between the WPS and other

agencies to help deal with mental health issues and interactions. What can we do about slum

landlords who abuse vulnerable persons, such as those with mental health issues?

4. How do we ensure that the work you [Chief Clunis] have begun in crime prevention through social

development continues after your departure?

5. What exists presently within the department in terms of its capacity to engage with the Aboriginal

community in Winnipeg? What vehicles are you using to engage with us and to get direct advice

from us who work first-hand with Aboriginal families and individuals to identify new solutions?

6. I am very encouraged by Chief Clunis’ words particularly in the approach to safety rather than

policing alone. There are people that still think that boots on the street are the solution and that

we simply need to move the homeless people. What is the WPB going to do to convince the rest

of the community that community safety and prevention are the right priorities?

7. There has been much said recently about Aboriginal people. I would just like to say that many

Aboriginal people, like me, are gainfully employed, pay taxes and contribute to the economy.


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ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS & WRITTEN FEEDBACK

What citizens would like to know about policing in Winnipeg:

o Crime statistics broken down by area. (2)

Changes in crime rates by district

Relationship between demographics and crime rates

o Comparison of provincial and municipal crime statistics.

o WPS procedures for officers in each district.

Shift lengths, overtime statistics, number of officers per shift

o Results from community consultations, the action plan the WPB and WPS develop, and the

outcomes and their effect on crime rates.

o A breakdown of the costs of policing would help increase public awareness and educate the

community on how tax dollars are spent and why policing is expensive.

o A breakdown of WPS resource allocation process between community safety and policing.

o Identification of the WPS supervisors and representatives in each district to familiarize the

community and enable the community to establish relationships with members of the WPS.

o WPS involvement in programs involving youth and newcomer communities and the results of

those programs.

o Information about existing connections and interactions between policing services and other

social services

o Explanation of WPS data collection procedures as it relates to social and criminal interactions

and their impacts on policing. How often Police take a person to alternative programs other

than jail would be a useful statistic to create community awareness of the impacts of social

issues on the costs of policing. (2)

o Opportunities for community members to interact with the WPS other than calling 911.

o A more detailed explanation of the philosophy behind the “New Model” of policing, the

benefits of the model, and the outcomes that are expected.

o More information on the “Block by Block” initiative.

Issues about community safety and policing citizens feel we should be talking about:

o Programming for community members, specifically youth, that offers positive alternatives to

crime. (5)

An increase in community involvement will assist in crime prevention by bringing

ownership of community safety back to the community and individual level.

WPS support for programming would assist in creating awareness.

There is a need for appropriate supports and interventions to be in place for

vulnerable persons to decrease their interactions with police and the correctional

system. An analysis of the costs associated with the correctional system is required

and consideration given to divesting those funds into mitigation and preventative

measures. (3)

o There is a high number of people downtown asking for money which makes the public feel

unsafe. (2)

o Mental health and homelessness (2)


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There is a need for a centre where people can go for support, to monitor their

medication, etc.

o WPS partnerships with other social service delivery mechanisms and the movement towards

a more holistic service delivery model. An initial step would be a triage system that receives

911 calls and directs clients to the appropriate service provider. (4)

An analysis of non-criminal calls the WPS respond to (domestic issues, addiction,

homelessness etc.) would assist in identifying the resources that are needed for

these individuals.

o Accountability of social programs – there is a lot of money put into programs but it doesn’t

seem to be spent on the right things

o Keeping kids in school

o Youth programming and ensuring continuity, extending hours especially in summer.

o News media should tell more positive stories.

o WPS should make an effort to ensure the community has accurate information regarding

community safety and crime and contradict the incorrect information that is perceived by the

community.

o Identification of the risks that impact the WPS activities and alignment of available resources

to mitigate those risks.

o Individuals need to take ownership of their personal safety and educate themselves on how

they can contribute to community safety.

Citizen priorities to improve community safety:

o Increase awareness and education for community members, including the WPS and social

service organizations, regarding racism, discrimination and removal of the stigma attached to

social issues. (4)

o Community engagement, grass roots safety networks, and support for communities that want

to do this

o Shift focus from reactive measures to prevention and intervention to make a long-term

positive impact on community safety. WPS and other social service agencies working

together toward social change.(2)

o Increased community resources and programming available for community members (with a

focus on vulnerable persons) similar to Freight House or Rossbrook House, to provide

support and contribute to preventative efforts. (4)

o The community must work together to mobilize actions toward improvements to community

safety (“Together we stand-apart we fall”). (2)

o Improvement in the communication and relations between the WPS and the community. (2)

Police spending more time in schools educating youth, creating awareness for

prevention initiatives, and establishing relationships with the youth community. (2)

Police outreach into newcomer communities to remove the fear and distrust of

authority that may exist

Getting out of squad cars, have coffee in the community.

Let children know it is safe to approach the police for help


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Reopening of Community Police Stations to improve community relations especially

in the Osborne Village area.

WPS can use their reach to advocate for social change.

o Cross ministry collaboration at the provincial level and collaboration between all levels of

government.

o Being tougher on serious crimes like home invasions

Citizen ideas for improvement:

o Youth recreational programming to provide an alternative to gangs and crime. Community

programs and organizations also provide the opportunity for youths to have role models in

their community. (5)

o Recreation and support programming for vulnerable persons who are homeless or have

addiction or mental health issues, will have positive impacts on their lives and decrease

negative interactions with police.

o A partnership between the education system and the WPS that is focused on prevention. (3)

o An increased police presence will improve crime prevention and policing. (3)

Foot / bike patrols – slower speed increases time/presence (vs just wait until the

cruiser car goes by), would decrease crime and provide a feeling of safety in the

community.

More police cruisers in back lanes would increase the feeling of safety in seniors.

o Policing resource coordination and allocation of time to activities that are going to produce

the desired outcomes. (2)

The province (WRHA and CFS) are partners that need to work together with the

WPS to deal with major problems and create a strategic plan.

o Newcomer and Aboriginal Advisory Council to advise the WPS. (2)

o Improved communication between the WPS and community through spending more time at

the community level building relationships and increasing positive interactions.

Community involvement is critical to community safety and priorities of everyone

involved need to align in order to achieve results. (2)

Educational workshops and presentations to educate the community on how they

can help to improve community safety.

WPS members meet with vulnerable persons to hear their stories and create

awareness and understanding.

There needs to be a link between community workers and “beat” officers.

A WPS information column in the Metro on a weekly basis could address people’s

misconceptions about crime rates and educate the community on Police initiatives

and results.

Semi-annual public consultations would be ideal to gather community input and keep

the community up to date on events the WPS is involved in.

o Improve design of built environment, coordinate city planning with parks, and policing to

support crime prevention. Increased street lighting and clean-up of city parks would

encourage people to go out and use the available facilities.

o Surveillance cameras downtown would increase the feeling of safety.


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o Equal investment in housing, education, recreation etc.

According to community members success looks like:

o Reduction in crime rates.(6)

Reduction in illicit drug use and gang activity.

Reduction in vandalism rate.

o Community members at all socio-economic levels have regular communication and positive

interactions with Police and are actively contributing to community safety. (5)

o People are not afraid to walk in their neighbourhood. More people are walking around. (3)

o Solid supports for people suffering from mental illness that prevents revolving door.

o Other cities see Winnipeg as an innovator and a leader in crime prevention and community

safety. (3)

o An increase in the graduation rates would indicate a decrease in crime. (2)

o Strong partnerships among community organizations and the WPS.

o The WPS is regularly engaged with different cultural groups in the city.

o No future need for public consultations would indicate the WPS activities are aligned with

community goals for public safety.

o Goals set in the strategic plan are achieved.

o Success Indicators

Perception of police

Right Service - Right Resource - Right Time

Effectiveness and Efficiency

Cultural, social or other considerations important for community safety and policing:

o Openness, awareness and understanding by the WPS of different cultures and traditions that

exist in Winnipeg (ethnic, LGBT). This awareness needs to extend to the organizations that

work with the Police service and the general community. (5)

o Root causes of social issues (education, housing, addiction, homelessness, mental health)

need to be addressed and preventative solutions used instead of problem-solving. The

stigma associated with these issues needs to be broken down through education. (2)

o There is a need for an Aboriginal Advisory Council to provide a resource for Police to discuss

culturally sensitive issues and work together to find solutions. A similar Newcomer Advisory

Council would be beneficial. (2)

o Increased diversity within the WPS and a focus on recruiting community members that are

disproportionately represented in the crime statistics.

o Increased support for spiritual resources should be a priority as they are an integral part of

many communities and can offer social supports and access to programming.

Additional Comments

o The poor state of city infrastructure (Litter, potholes etc.) contributes to the perception that the

downtown area is “unsafe”.

o The Chief is pushing in the right direction. Unfortunately, not all others seem behind it yet.


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o A front desk area is needed at the new Police Headquarters that welcomes citizens inside

and offers an opportunity for a face to face interaction with WPS.

o Officers should be accountable for any wrong doing and praised for their contributions to

crime reduction.

o More “real” people should be attending the consultations and less city councillors and WPS

representatives. Next time invites should be sent to seniors and nursing homes.

o In the future the consultations should be portrayed in terms of community benefit not focused

on the benefits of the board. The WPB should work with community agencies to bring more

people to consultations.

2014 Public Consultations - District 2 Meeting Summary Sturgeon Heights Community Centre, August 11, 2014

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ATTENDANCE


Also present;


Don Norquay

Scott Fielding

Paul Edwards

Mary Jane Loustel

Leslie Spillet

David Keam

Angeline Ramkissoon

Chief Devon Clunis


Staff Sargeant Ron Johannson



Pat de Jong

Rejeanne Caron

Maureen Musgrove

MNP Facilitators

OPEN Q & A

1. Why is the representation of female officers so limited? What is the work to try and remedy this?

2. Positive comment re: Chief’s comments and impression left on attendee

3. What has the Chief done related to the downtown safety plan?

4. What plans / programs are in place related to school programs and preventative measures re:

addiction issues?

5. Why is location of new police station in an area where there is not the greatest crime rate?

6. What is the status of the Neighbourhood Watch program – is the program still in place and what

is its strength?

7. Do district stations have a plan in place to contact neighbourhood safety associations in order to

establish formal relationships and work together?

8. Canada’s military seems to have done an effective job in recruiting more women. What has the

WPS done as far as reaching out to other organizations that have been successful in changing

their demographic and adding more females into their complement?

9. How many people would it take in order for WPS to attend a meeting? IE: if a community

organization contacts the WPS to attend an event, what does the WPS need, as far as

attendance, in order to attend?



o More information about what is going on within the WPS (7)

Results of WPS Programs and Initiatives (e.g., helicopter programs, bicycle

programs, involvement in other programs such as Neighbourhood Watch)

WPS events, attendance at community events


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Media only reports negative. Participation in events may be a way to

promote positive relationships with community, create positive media

coverage, highlight positive things going on in the North end and reduce the

fear.

WPS public engagement statistics

Frequency and results of investigations into breaches of discipline by the WPS and

associated consequences.

Information about the WPS “use of force” framework to increase awareness and

understanding of the parameters within which the WPS operate.

o Crime statistics broken down by area (5)


Number of preventative visits and community-building interactions

Gang activity

Regular information on criminal activity in area

Revenue generated from traffic enforcement and statistics that demonstrates impact

of fines/levying on increasing public safety.

o Demographics (race, gender, ethnicity) and language capabilities of WPS, particularly

Aboriginal languages, to ensure availability of these resources is known internally and by the

public, in order to ensure the public can access services in their preferred language.

o Education requirements required to join the WPS (I.e. Is GED math acceptable?)

o More straight-forward information regarding the connection between poverty and crime. How

will lowering poverty statistics directly impact crime rates?

o Comparative analysis of policing on air force bases and municipal policing.

o Decision making procedures regarding red light cameras. (Where they are placed, when they

are removed, how replaced if removed during construction periods).

o What civilians should do when they observe a crime -- what they are able to do safely, and

how to find out the result (2)


o WPS partnerships that enable wraparound access to necessary services. (3)

o General preventative programs that support WPS and their ability to leverage the positive

impacts on community safety (Block parents, citizen support groups). (3)

o Resources available in area for youth

o Changing neighbourhood dynamics with increasing newcomers

o Gang activity and what should be looking for

o The effectiveness of the 911 program and emergency response times.

o The School Resource Officer Program and its importance in community safety and crime

prevention. Feedback on its effectiveness should be shared with the community to create

awareness for the program.

o How the WPS responds to non-emergency calls. The calls are often received by voicemail

and citizens are never able to speak with a person.

o Addiction Cititand creating cause awareness (especially among youth).


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o How community members can take ownership of their personal safety and educate

themselves on what they can do to positively impact community safety.

o How much time Police are spending in hospitals? Are there strategies that may be more

effective?


o More Police interaction with the community to improve the relationship with the public and

increase the feeling of safety within the community, encourage people to report crimes. (5)

o Traffic Enforcement (4)

There is a need for more speed bumps in school zones and residential areas.

o Drug and alcohol dependency related issues which contribute to domestic issues.

o Drugs in schools

o Youth related issues and resources for crime prevention.

o Panhandling downtown -- makes the public feel unsafe and deters people from spending time

downtown.

o More opportunities created by/within communities that promote community involvement and

can assist the WPS.

o Open, active communication


o An increase in communication between the community and the WPS. (5)

Community forums held on a regular basis, would provide the opportunity to use

Chief Clunis’ ability to engage people, drive change and enhance support from

organizations and individuals and encourage them to participate in the change.

Regular (semi-annual) meetings with community organizations (at community

centres), organized by the community centre, attended by officers that serve the

area, to help forge connections, get to know people.

Increased advertising of Police initiatives, programs and results in community

newsletters and newspapers in order to improve community awareness. (2)

WPS should promote the E Watch Program.

More information on website

o Non violent crime crisis intervention instead of first time offenders going to jail. (2)

o Re-opening of community police stations would provide an opportunity for relationship

building between the community and WPS.

o Greater Police presence would increase community feeling of safety and improve the

relationship between the WPS and the community.

o Greater collaboration between WPS and civilian support organizations and other public

service departments.(3)

WPS partnership with mental health professionals and bring them on-site during

incidents requiring their services, especially when they are able to free up police

resources.(2)

Sharing of information regarding individuals that have had interactions with multiple

organizations, in order to establish baseline background information.


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Better coordination with the provincial government to ensure metal health

professionals are available when needed.

Program funding should be viewed through a holistic, preventative lens encouraging

collaboration between services and not siloed into programs areas.

Re-institution of the Neighbourhood Watch program. Although it is hard in the

residential areas because people are often not home.

Create partnership initiatives with military organizations especially for recruitment the

military has had success recruiting more women.

o Police should have a liaison participate in city council discussions to discuss the benefits of

programs and their results, as well as provide recommendations for funding decisions.

o Enhancement of School Resource Officer Program (similar program has achieved

successful results in Calgary)

The program addresses youth stability and enhances awareness of policing as a

career option for youth.

Introductory programs should be implemented in elementary through high schools.

The program also offers an opportunity for a partnership with the school division to

determine ways to enhance crime prevention in the youth population.

o Civic politics should be added to the curriculum in high schools to improve civilian

understanding of decision making processes and the importance of the police service in the

budget.

o More wellness fairs after major incidents to help community members deal with after effects.

o More cadet presence in areas other than downtown.


o People feeling safer in their community. (4)

More street traffic and people talking to each other.

Every woman feeling secure.

o A well-informed community that understands the challenges the WPS are facing, the

successes they have had, and the goals they are working towards.

o Police are invited to community Barbeques, not just called for emergencies

o Positive media portrayal of policing and public safety would indicate a positive public

perception.

o The achievement of Chief Clunis’ vision.

o More daytime visibility of police officers in areas outside downtown.

o A Police force that is representative of community members.

o Higher education requirements to become a police officer.

o Less calls to police services.


o WPS employment should better reflect the city’s demographics (race and gender). (5)

There needs to be more police officers who speak languages other than English.

We need more police who have been through similar experiences to the people who

are disproportionately represented in the justice system.


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Increased cultural awareness within WPS

o WPS needs to develop their relationships with various ethnic groups to improve awareness

within the police service of cultural differences through regular dialogues. This will also serve

as an opportunity to educate the ethnic groups on the workings of the WPS. (2)

o Additional programs are required to assist new Canadians in their transition into a new

environment. Alot of fear and post traumatic stress is experienced by refugees from war torn

countries, and they may not feel accepted in our communities. We need to find ways to bring

newcomers into our society, help overcome issues, as well as educate community. (3)

o There needs to be more awareness of cultural considerations in male dominant cultures, as

women are not as likely to speak up under this circumstance.

o Mental illness is really high. Police uniform may create fear. Need social workers to be

paired up with police.

2014 Public Consultations - District 3 Meeting Summary Maples Community Centre, August 18, 2014

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ATTENDANCE


Also present;


Don Norquay

Scott Fielding

Mary Jane Loustel

Leslie Spillet

Chief Devon Clunis


Deputy Chief Dave Thorne



Staff Sargeant Mike Stephens

Adrian May

Yvonne Pregely- Sarzynski

MNP Facilitators

OPEN Q & A

1. Looking at crime statistics can we really trust what we are getting out of Ottawa, and Statistics

Canada?

2. Have you and your team identified any timelines going forward [for the direction in Chief Clunis

presentation]?

3. Can you comment on some of the difficulties posed by [how issues are communicated] in news

media and social media?

4. What are we doing for community policing and community initiatives?

5. Your comment about meeting your neighbor really struck a chord with me. What are your

thoughts about living downtown, living in apartments, busy people running around, single parents,

people with mental health issues, etc. What are your suggestions for building a community in that

context?

6. I feel that we don’t get enough communication from the police department regarding serious

incidents. I would like to know what’s going on. I get the police statistics emailed to me but

sometimes you need more information. You have excellent spokes people, you could let people

know.

7. Can you comment on the cadet program? How is it doing?

8. You mentioned more about focusing on social issues. Are there partnerships with the WRHA that

can be formed to deal with mental health?


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o More information about what is going on within the WPS (4)

Recruitment activities

WPS events, attendance at community events

Media only reports negative. Participation in events may be a way to

promote positive relationships with community, create positive media

coverage, highlight positive things going on in the North end and reduce the

fear.

WPS public engagement statistics.

WPS proactive initiatives to prepare for school shootings.

More information on WPS partnerships, e.g., MPI, Mental Health professionals

o The responsibilities, budget and mandate for the Winnipeg Police Board.(2)

o Crime statistics broken down by area.(2)

Crime statistics from other jurisdictions.

Break-in statistics for properties with and without security systems.

o The most effective way for citizens to provide information and ongoing feedback to the WPS.

o How Citizens on Patrol/ Neighbourhood Watch programs work and which communities they

are active in.

o Jurisdiction, mandate and responsibilities of Railroad Police Service.

o Education on how citizens can protect themselves.

o Responsibilities and limitations of Cadets.


o WPS partnerships that enable wraparound access to necessary services. (2)

o General preventative programs that support WPS and their ability to leverage the positive

impacts on community safety (Block parents, citizen support groups). (3)

o Changing neighbourhood dynamics with increasing newcomers

o High prevalence of drug trafficking.

o Impaired driving.

o Police presence in schools is important for prevention and educating youth and serving as

role models in the community. (2)

o Opportunities for community involvement and to voice their input on crime prevention and

community safety. (2)

o How the WPS responds to non-emergency calls. The calls are often received by voicemail

and citizens are never able to speak with a person. (2)

o How community members can take ownership of their personal safety and educate

themselves on what they can do to positively impact community safety. (3)

o How much time Police are spending in hospitals? Are there strategies that may be more

effective?



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Foot patrols

o Crime Prevention

o Impaired driving and creating awareness.

o Re-allocation of resources

Officers at speed traps (vs cameras) should be assigned to more valuable tasks.

o Mental Health and other social issues. (2)

Closing vendors that sell alcohol in problem areas.

Community education on available resources and coordination amongst available

resources.

o Drugs

o 911 and Non-emergency Response System that is more responsive and effective.

o Youth related issues and resources for crime prevention. (2)

o More opportunities created by/within communities that promote community involvement and

can assist the WPS.

o Open, active communication with an emphasis on positive WPS activities. (4)

o More surveillance cameras downtown.



Community forums held on a regular basis would provide the opportunity to provide

input.

Monthly WPS newsletter or article in community newspapers that focuses on social

issues and WPS community involvement.

Question and Answer with Chief Clunis or WPS representative printed in the

newspapers.

WPS should attend more community events (3)

Individual police officers using Twitter to communicate with community.

More information on website.

Increased use of social media by the WPS.

o Non violent crime crisis intervention instead of first time offenders going to jail.

o Well-being checks on homes/ families that present an issue or need.

o Greater Police presence in an approachable way would increase community feeling of safety

and improve the relationship between the WPS and the community. When officers are in

cruiser cars there is no opportunity to approach them (5)

More officers on bikes / walking (e.g. of horseback in NYC).


service departments.

WPS partnership with mental health professionals and bring them on-site during

incidents requiring their services, especially when they are able to free up police

resources.

Use of a holistic approach to crime prevention and enforcement.


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o Increased police presence in schools to work with youth and promote crime prevention

initiatives.(2)

o Increase cadet responsibilities.


o People feeling safer in their community. (5)

More pedestrians on the street and people talking to each other.

o Improvements to the Criminal Justice System

o WPS are able to spend more time on preventative initiatives and less time responding to

calls.

o A well-informed community that understands the challenges the WPS are facing, the

successes they have had, and the goals they are working towards.

o Police are invited to community Barbeques, not just called for emergencies

o Reduction in crime rates.(4)

Reduction in gang activity, violent crimes, drug trafficking

o More police presence and interaction with community members.


o WPS employment should better reflect the city’s demographics (race and gender).

There needs to be more police officers who speak languages other than English.

Increased cultural awareness within the WPS.




o There needs to be more awareness of cultural considerations in male dominant cultures, as

women are not as likely to speak up under this circumstance.

o WPS advertising and informative materials available in languages other than English.

o Mental illness is really high. Police uniform may create fear. Need social workers to be

paired up with police. (2)

o Create awareness amongst community members of services that are available and

encourage them to use services.

2014 Public Consultations - District 4 Meeting Summary Jonathan Toews Community Centre, August 19, 2014

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ATTENDANCE


Also present;


Don Norquay

Paul Edwards

Leslie Spillet

David Keam

Angeline Ramkissoon

Chief Devon Clunis




Inspector Greg Burnett

Adrian May

MNP Facilitators

OPEN Q & A

1. If you have a serious concern or issue to bring forward, and have had no success through the

highest levels of the Winnipeg Police Service, what is the role of the Police Board?

2. What resources does it require to enable the Police Service to provide service successfully during

instances where the WPS may not be the main or necessary service provider?

3. Can you share some examples of how the Police Service is working with faith based

organizations?

4. What are some of the ways the Winnipeg Police Service interacts with different cultural

communities in Winnipeg?

5. What are some examples of projects and initiatives the WPS are involved in within the

community?

6. [Incident specific question – referred to WPS members present]

7. How do we strengthen relationships with Community Liaison Officers when they are always

changing? How do we find out who is the new Community Liaison Officer?



o How to invite police to community events or to speak to a group of youth.

o WPS data collection procedures.

o Results of public consultations and strategic plan for the future.

o Information about existing programs and resources available in each community.

Opportunities for community members to get involved with community safety

initiatives and programs. (2)

o Professional development opportunities to educate WPS on the new philosophy.

o Examples of community safety pilot programs and initiatives from other jurisdictions.

o More information about what is going on within the WPS.


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Results of WPS Partnerships, Programs and Initiatives (e.g., helicopter programs,

bicycle programs, involvement in other programs such as Neighbourhood Watch). (2)

General overview of the operations and organization of the WPS.

o Crime statistics broken down by area (4)


Gang activity

o Response procedure for calls relating to mental illness.


o Root causes of crime and the preventative actions required to address them. (3)

o Transparency and accountability of the WPS.

o Availability of other social service programs 24/7.

o Crime prevention through social development.(3)

Sustainability and accountability- promoting safe schools and ensure youth are

involved in the community. (2)

After school programming to provide youth community with crime alternatives.(2)

Continuity and building relationships.(2)

o Actions needed to eliminate discrimination and inequality.

o Neighbourhood Watch is no longer common in communities. Someone should be present in

the community during the day when everyone is at work.

o Perception of safety and community involvement. (2)

o Visibility and accessibility of Police officers in communities other than downtown. (2)

Police presence along walking trails at night and personal safety education for

citizens who use these paths.


o Police officers working in one district for longer periods and creating relationships with the

community.(3)



o Focus shift from reactive to proactive.

o Collaboration amongst all levels of government and service providers to establish an

integrated approach.

o The re-distribution of funding to address root causes of social issues.(2)

o Violent crime in some areas.

o Property crime

Nuisance in suburb communities (St Vital residents are frustrated but often do not

report because of perception that nothing will be done by Police.) (2)

o Prevention activities to involve and educate youth especially in downtown area where gang

activity is more prevalent.(2)

o Communities need to provide more “safe zones” for youth by offering after school

programs.(2)

o Educated community on how to take responsibility for their personal and community safety.


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Community forums held on a regular basis, would provide the opportunity for

community members to provide input and feedback.

Police officers spending more time at the community level establishing relationships.

Police “open house” for families.

An interactive map with crime statistics and crime prevention initiatives in each

district.

Quarterly articles in local newspapers from Chief Clunis or WPS representative.

o Engage Community Networks to assist with community safety initiatives (in suburbs too, not

just downtown). (St. Vital Action Network, Fort Garry Community Resource Network). (3)

Community leaders promoting and recruiting people to get involved with community

organizations.

o Amend the transfer policy to enable officers to spend more time in the community building

relationships.

Regular (semi-annual) meetings with community organizations (at community

centres), organized by the community centre, attended by officers that serve the

area, to help forge connections, get to know people.

o Greater Police presence would increase community feeling of safety and improve the

relationship between the WPS and the community.

WPS participating in events at the community level (gift wrapping at St Vital mall with

at risk youths).


service departments.(2)

o Examine the Memphis Model Approach as an alternative for crime prevention and

intervention.

o An increase in funding for extracurricular activities for youth to provide them an alternative to

gangs and criminal activity (possibly in the schools).(3)

o Educational workshops and presentations to educate and involve youth in community safety

initiatives.

Use of technology and social media would be effective in reaching citizens,

especially youth.

Youth ride along experiences with officers.

Mentorship Program- WPS have volunteer community representatives available to

work with community organizations and provide education workshops.


o People feeling safer in their community and in the downtown area. (4)

o Community members at all socio-economic levels have regular communication and positive

interactions with Police and are actively contributing to community safety. (1)

o Reduction in crime rates. (2)


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o No crime, poverty, homelessness, discrimination, neglect, racism, drugs, cigarettes or

alcohol.

o A well-informed community that understands the challenges and goals of the WPS and

actively participates in community safety initiatives. (2)

o Increase in tourism and a reputation of being a safe city.

o Positive media portrayal of policing and public safety would indicate a positive public

perception. (2)

o Service providers feel supported by WPS.

o Community members do not immediately assume the worst when they see a police officer in

their community.


o WPS employment should better reflect the city’s demographics (race and gender).

o Increased cultural awareness within WPS. (2)

Educational and promotional material should be in languages other than English.

Interpreters should be available when WPS interact with Newcomer citizens.





exist in Winnipeg (ethnic, LGBT). This awareness needs to extend to the organizations that

work with the Police service and the general community. (3)

o Citizens need to spend the time to get to know their neighbours.

2014 Public Consultations – Newcomer Community Meeting SummaryNEEDS Resource Centre, September 6, 2014

1 Prepared by MNP

ATTENDANCE

48 community members*

Also present;


Don Norquay

Scott Fielding

Paul Edwards

Mary Jane Loustel

Leslie Spillet

Angeline Ramkissoon

Mallory Richard

Chief Clunis

Deputy Chief Stannard

Deputy Chief Thorne

Superintendent Ormiston

Inspector Hodgson

Staff Sergeant Golebioski

Sergeant Haegeman

Patrol Sergeant Wytinck

Constable Paterson

MNP Facilitators

*Includes NEEDS volunteers and staff from newcomer community and interpreters that participated in

discussions

OPEN Q & A

1. I live at Logan and Salter and one of the issues I have in that community is I often walk to work

and my safety as an Aboriginal woman in that area. My daughter is coming to live with me and

I’m worried about her safety. How are you going to keep my people safe?

2. What would you say is the percentage of new policing recruits from visible minority communities

and the Aboriginal community?

3. When the parents are too busy looking for a job and learning the language, they aren’t

concentrating on the children, and they are getting into trouble. Is there any program in school,

or is there a program for new immigrants to know their child care responsibilities? Is it the

responsibility of the community? Or the police?

4. I work a lot with newcomer youth and families. Many youth I work with end up in difficulties with

the Justice system. They are the youth that fall through the cracks. Is Winnipeg police willing to

create a program for kids who have gone through the justice system so that these kids can get

some kind of support when they get out?

5. The community’s concern is the commitment of the police.

6. Will the police service connect with the recreation department to set a more proactive program in

regards to the immigrant community and aboriginal community? I’d like to see the police and the

two departments talking.

7. When immigrant youth go to jail and come back they are not accepted and nobody likes them

anymore. Is there any possibility of having a centre teaching those who are coming out of the jail

to be re-oriented to the community? To accept what they have done, so that they can be part of

the community again.


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8. I spent ten years in a refugee camp, and some people who are coming here spent more than

that. When they come here they don’t know how to read or write, and they are overwhelmed. The

system is too complicated for them. The kids learn very quickly, and it brings conflict between

them and their parents. I want the police to understand different cultures. When people come

here they are used to certain rules and norms. When they come here it’s different, and when they

use their culture here it’s illegal, but they don’t know. If you see our background and our

experience, we fear the police. But we appreciate this and the police taking their time. I would like

to see the police work with elders in the community, for example if they need to apprehend a

child.



o Crime statistics broken down by area.

o Information about how to ensure personal safety at night and on public transportation.

o Definition of Emergency and Non-Emergency calls and contact information for Non-

Emergencies. (3)

o Laws in Manitoba (Rights of Persons, parental responsibilities, educational laws, criminal

laws)

o Rental housing regulations and available subsidies.

o Police Service Practices and Procedures

WPS lights and siren policy (reason for why they are on while going through

intersections and off once they are through.)

WPS on-duty procedures for officers.

Information about WPS training programs (E.g to deal with mental health issues,

Cultural awareness and sensitivity training).

o Program Information

Information about current WPS Crime Prevention Programs. (2)

Information about the School Resource Program and which schools are involved.

Information about prevention education programs available for parents.

Information about the role and capabilities of Police in referral programs and

providing alternatives to jail or offenders.

Information about community programming the WPS is involved in.

o WPS Community Involvement statistics.

o Is policing a social or legal service and which is the priority?


o Lack of Newcomer and youth community orientation to familiarize them with laws, law

enforcement and societal systems they are a part of. (5)

Youth receive orientation through peers at school and often through negative

examples creating conflict in the family unit.

o Transitional programs/opportunities for those released from jail to mitigate risk of re-

offending.


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o WPS outreach into Newcomer communities.

o WPS recruitment in Newcomer communities.

o Racism in policing and the need for a platform for victims to come forward.

o Police involvement with private security to eliminate discrimination, cultural sensitivity should

be part of private security training.

o More positive portrayal of the WPS in the media.

o Programming for community members, specifically youth, that offers positive alternatives to

crime. E.g. YMCA

Increased access to after school programming for youth.

o City of Winnipeg recreation department.

o Mental health issues.

o Dealing with root causes of dysfunctional families.

CFS operations and procedures. Level of care and environmental conditions of group

and foster homes need to be monitored.

Education of community on resources and programming available as alternatives to

crime for youth.

Educating youth on the consequences of their actions.

o Involvement of the education system in crime prevention and identification of at risk youth at

an early stage and connecting them with the necessary resources.

o WPS partnerships with other social service delivery mechanisms. (4)

CFS

Newcomer organizations

Schools and education programs

Partnerships should expand outside of the downtown area


o Youth

o Poverty

o Prostitution

o Domestic violence (2)

The procedures for dealing with domestic calls should be adjusted to expand Police

options on an escalating scale from education to removal of the spouse from the

home as a final resort.

o Newcomer community orientation and outreach to familiarize them with laws and law

enforcement and time to adapt to new environment. (3)

o Police and cadets attending community events.

o Neighbourhood Watch

o Recruitment initiatives

o Violent and drug crime prevention and enforcement.

o Increased community resources and programming available for community members,

especially for youth. (2)

Cadets mentoring at risk youth.

o Ensuring health of the family unit.


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o Transitional programming to assist those released from criminal justice system and to reduce

the risk of re-offending.

o Improved communication between the WPS and community through spending more time at

the community level building relationships and increasing positive interactions.

Community public safety education with a focus on prevention. (2)

Outreach events with Newcomer communities to form relationships (especially with

the Elders) and understanding what is going on in the community (2)

Community police stations to enable community members to build relationships with

WPS officers.

o Awareness education for Newcomer Communities with involvement from Ethno-cultural

leaders in the community. Also provides an opportunity for community members to become

familiar with WPS officers in their community.

Basic overview of judicial system

CFS Model

Newcomer Community resource liaison program to assist families in their

transition and provide necessary supports to ensure success.

Education system orientation.

Gang and drug prevention and awareness education for families including

available resources.

o Televised monthly roundtable meetings with community leaders and WPS.

o Radio station dedicated to providing current events and problems in communities as well as

identifying criminals.

o Increased recreational opportunities for youth (24 hour youth drop in centre). (2)

o Conflict Resolution used as an alternative to criminal charges.

o WPS partnerships with community organizations.

Educate WPS on social programming and organizations that are available so they

can create awareness in the community.

Social workers or counselors working with police as liaisons to work with women who

have been victims of violence.


o Active engagement of Newcomer community members.

o Newcomer male community members feeling police are there for them as well as women and

children.

o Police presence does not create concern or mean something bad is happening.

o People feeling safe in their community.

o Communication and collaboration amongst community organizations, police and the

community as a whole.



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exist in Winnipeg through sensitivity training. (5)

Ensure there is an understanding the Newcomers are in a new environment and do

not know the law.

Awareness of cultural differences in parenting and perception of privacy.

Religious awareness and how it impacts interactions with different communities.

o Community of elders should assist police when working with the community.

o Involve Elders in communities.

o Increased accessibility and awareness of services in first languages for Newcomers to assist

with early stage transition and orientation into new community.

2014 Public Consultations – Aboriginal Community Meeting Summary Indian and Metis Friendship Centre, September 9, 2014

1 Prepared by MNP

ATTENDANCE


Also present;


Don Norquay

Scott Fielding

David Keam

Mary Jane Loustel

Leslie Spillet

Mallory Richard

Gwen Kist

Chief Clunis

Deputy Chief Stannard

Deputy Chief Thorne

Superintendent Ormiston

Superintendent Fogg

Inspector Baldwin

Staff Sergeant Golebioski

Sergeant Haegeman

Patrol Sergeant Turner

MNP Facilitators

OPEN Q & A 1. Can you give some examples of crime prevention initiatives based on social development?

2. When is the Block by Block project going to take place?

3. Will the police stand behind me in getting the plates of “Johns”?

4. How do you plan on working with women who are involved in high risk life styles, specifically the

sex trade?

5. How are you going to deal with Police Officer fear of Aboriginal community? 6. Other provinces have diversion happening from their police services. Will this be part of the

strategy? Can we bring our Justice system up to the rest of our country?

7. I was harassed by police officers as a youth, I continue to be harassed, and I want to share these

experiences because I think the youth can relate to this. What are officers being taught?

8. What kind of program is in place that when a youth goes into emergency under the influence, with

no guardian, they can end up being released?

9. Is there sensitivity training for police officers?

10. I notice that your initiatives are directly targeting women working in the sex trade, it’s not only

women who are targeted, there are a lot of boys who are targeted. Also, the WPS need to be

mindful and sensitive to issues in LGBT community.


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ISSUES ABOUT COMMUNITY SAFETY AND POLICING WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT:

Sense of Safety

o We need to be talking about safety of the kids and making our community safer.

o The times and situations have changed. I used to go to school on Selkirk Avenue and walk

home. Now I worry.

o People are afraid to say something when a crime is being committed because of fear of

retaliation from the people who committed the crime.

o In the past you could walk home and feel totally safe. Now I’m afraid of my own people

because of the things that have happened to us in society.

o Need to make people more aware of what to do to keep themselves safe.

o Development of Selkirk Avenue to Main Street to Logan Avenue is a priority and would make

the community safer; Crime prevention through environmental design.

o We should get rid of the vendors who sell beer late at night and stir up trouble.

o More security cameras would help to improve community safety.

Police Response

o Need more responsiveness from police with regard to citizens reporting drugs and crack

houses.

o Domestic situations need to be taken seriously at early stages. Don’t wait for escalation.

o When there is a response required for a missing youth or someone being followed, they are

on the phone for an hour with police, trying to get a car out.

o When police go into a home, they threaten to call CFS on families for things like dishes in the

sink. They need to stop threatening families that are doing their best.

o Police seem to stop a lot of people in the neighbourhood, but not groups of teenage boys and

girls who are obviously not from the neighbourhood driving around and shouting and throwing

things at people. Police don’t stop them.

o We need a greater presence of police, walking the beat until 9 or 10 PM, followed by police

presence in patrol cars after 10 PM.

o There shouldn’t have to be a big community uproar to have issues noticed and addressed.

o WPS needs to prioritize how it is going to deal with issues.

o The rookies come out with intimidation tactics particularly toward youth and women. Their

intimidation tactics need to change and their understanding of the issues of where the

individual is at that time.

o Many youth have had negative treatment by the police and running people’s name and

occupation when they are doing nothing wrong. The language used is offensive too.

o Why are female searches being done by male police officers? There should always be a

female with a male police officer together and no police officers should be alone on duty.

o Many Residential School survivors do not understand charges being laid because they can’t

read or write English. There should be interpreters available.


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o We need to have our own Elders involved in healing our people. The police service should

have a circle of Elders, and possibly have an Elder with them to diffuse situations where

going into someone’s house. As Aboriginal care givers, we diffuse a lot of those types of

situations.

Drugs and Violence

o The biggest problem in the North End is drugs because it creates an environment of violence.

o Violence on the street.

Police interaction with community

o We need more events that invite police participation, such as sport or community events

where the environment is person to person.

o Consultation with the community is very important

Need to build respect from people. Can’t just make hollow promises.

Need to focus on the root causes.

o There should be more opportunities to ask questions of WPS and Chief of Police, especially

for youth.

o More foot and bicycle patrols because officers are less accessible and approachable in

cruiser cars.

o A lot of people miss the days when you would see police walking and you knew them and

they knew the community.

o Opportunities are needed for positive interactions with youth

Increase police understanding of where our youth are at. Police should get to know

our youth to change the image of police in the eyes of youth so that they see the

police as there for safety

The youth have a lot to say, WPS should sit down and talk to them and understand

what they are dealing with and where they are coming from, instead of targeting

them.

WPS officers should engage with youth and get to know us (our names / who we are

/ where we live).

There is a need for a Youth Community Meeting with WPS because youth would feel

more comfortable to ask questions and voice opinions in a room of only youth.

Police officers should come to the community centres and hang out. We need more

programs that have WPS involved so youth get to know who our officers are.

o Police officers need to get to know community members but often they are moved to a new

area (rotated out) and community members don’t know who to call and must start again

developing relationships with new officers assigned to their area.

o Better communication between police and public – they are rude to teenagers, feel they are

looking down on us, not as equals.

Need to address root causes of crime and program effectiveness


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o Need to take more of a preventative perspective as opposed to reactionary. Work on the

social issues that are causing high crime rates among certain populations.

Marginalization and social exclusion of certain groups.

Address housing issues instead of placing homeless people in emergency services.

Best interests of an individual need to be considered. Need to teach people how they

can do better.

o Police need new focus on early years, empowering communities to learn who they are and

focus on educating youth to stop the causes.

o Need for more programs for male population.

o Around 10 PM, I see four and five year olds and don’t see the parents coming to get them.

o Crime stems from poverty, homelessness, we are not going to fix it here and now.

o There is a wait list to get into addictions treatment. People seeking help that are turned away

may not come back or be able to come back. A faster process and rapid access are needed.

o Teaching our children the better aspects of life, repairing relationships and breaking cycles of

violence and abuse (caused by Residential school system).

o Higher percentage of crime and incarcerated in First Nation communities.

o Social work and justice haven’t changed much over 30 years. We haven’t put enough focus

on changing family structure. There are many agencies; Native agencies as well. What are

they doing to help our families, what crime prevention and programs are they doing?

o Service agencies haven’t changed much in terms of what they are doing for the community, a

lot is crisis oriented. The issues within our community are multiple. Drugs and alcohol are

readily available, peer pressure, and kids joining gangs because they don’t have stable

families at home or role models.

o People are throwing program money at things, but there are no changes or results.

Rehabilitation programming is difficult because you have to turn the offender’s wheels back to

when they were younger, in order for them to learn.

o More funding is needed for resources like missions to enable access to necessary resources.

Role of Community in Community Safety

Community members must take personal responsibility for their safety and educate

themselves on how they can do their part to prevent crime. Safety and prevention starts in

the home.

We must build relationships within communities. The whole community ensures that

every person has employment, shelter, etc.

Need to increase communication amongst neighbours.

Need to be a more caring society. Caring for our neighbours creates a feeling of

safety and trust.

Need to promote programs like Neighborhood Watch and Citizens on Patrol

programs that report and provide a safe place for kids.

Police partnerships with community organizations that support the whole family.


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o Ensure partnerships are balanced. I.e. Physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.

o Ensure Indigenous organizations are at the table.

o Ex. Over prescription of drugs. Work with governing body for medical professionals etc.

o There are many community groups to team up with. Talk to individual community groups.

o Ensure there are adequate police resources to engage in these partnerships.

o WPS should work with North End organizations like Stop for a Date – Facebook Your Plate.

o Use Thunderbird House and get Aboriginal police officers in to work with the Elders and start

a male youth program.

o Need for extensions of the police into Aboriginal organizations.

o Community safety initiatives working to solve issues need more representatives of youth and

from the communities they serve, including Block by Block to provide solid feedback and help

to make the initiative successful.

WPS Transparency.

o Increased transparency with regard to investigation of complaints against police. WPS need

to report the outcomes and preventative measures to be taken in the future.

o Need for cameras on police officers to record interactions with community. Why do they put

us on cameras but they don’t want to be on camera?

Racial Profiling, Stereotyping and Respect

o Most of us realize that unfortunately the relationship between police and our community is not

equal. There is a disconnect and disrespect that our people feel. It’s a good thing the WPS is

moving into social development, for a lot of people in the community what they know is racial

profiling and discrimination.

o We have been taught to respect police, but we don’t get the same respect in return.

o Racism is what we should be talking about; police treating people badly.

o Racism within the WPS. The lack of respect being exhibited not only toward Aboriginals but

towards people of all colours.

Aboriginals constantly being stopped on the street for no apparent reason.

Stereotyping

More emphasis on personal communications.

o Aboriginal males stereotyped by the media.

o It seems police have the idea that if you live in the North End, you’re either poor or bad.

o If you are with gang members when stopped by police, you are labeled as affiliated with the

gang even if you aren’t, which isn’t right.

o Experience with police officers making a racial joke and laughing.

o Respectful policing starts with training, LGBT awareness (E.g. police use of birth name vs.

chosen name).

o When you get pulled over there is judgment by police. E.g. because of tattoos they assume

you are associated with drugs.

o How do we as a community assist police in demonstrating who the “bad” officers are?


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o There is marginalization and racism against transient populations. Transient populations are

forced to move from parks or on the streets by cadets and police officers when they aren’t

being disruptive. Missions and other resources are located near these areas and parks are

public space they should be able to use.

Cultural Understanding, Representation

o Is there Aboriginal awareness training that police officers have to take?

o Which Elders are teaching the WPS about Aboriginals?

o There should be more Aboriginal officers as Aboriginal community would feel more

comfortable talking to an Aboriginal Police officer.

o Is there any follow-up to the Aboriginal training to make sure it’s working?

o Would like to know more about the recruitment of Aboriginal police officers and what the

target is of representation.

o Police need to look at their own attitudes and how they approach people. If they want to build

relationships, they can’t go into the community with the same old attitudes. I don’t know how

much training they get, whether it’s cross-cultural regarding Aboriginals and immigrants.

o There needs to be more education on how to deal with people who are intoxicated because

they are most vulnerable, but no one but the police knows how to deal with them. An

intoxicated youth will be barred from community resource centres and the only option is for

police to put them in a drunk tank which isn’t the solution. This is probably how people end

up missing and murdered.

o When it comes to rookies, there needs to be education of all forms and covering all aspects

of life. A lot of the police rookies at gender identity training didn’t want to speak and it took

work to break the ice because rookies were afraid to ask questions among their peers.

o The Butterfly Lodge Teaching is a four-day program that would be great for police officers.

There is also Better Understanding Sexual Exploitation in your Communities at New

Directions that is a three-day program that would give better understanding and insight into

terminology and issues.

o Educating the police force on cultural sensitivity and awareness through course or workshops

on a regular basis etc. Police officers need to take the uniform off and meet people at our

level.

More education for police on how to deal with sexually abused women.

Suggested Core Competency training by Jennifer Richards

Missing and Murdered Women

o We need to start talking about the population of women on the streets and that 97% of them

are Aboriginal

o Lots of stories of very young girls knowing that they are being followed by men in cars.

Parents have to be paranoid about watching their kids.

o There should be partnerships with community organizations for safety precautions.

E.g. In 2010 did a drive to provide cell phones for safety. Women were given cell

phones that were wiped by MTS but could still call 911.


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o There needs to be a lot more discussion on the perpetrator/predator. Why do they think they

are allowed to come into the community to approach and proposition or physically assault

women and youth?

o Are the WPS willing to help the families of missing and murdered women with closure?

o Take reports of missing women more seriously. Start investigating immediately, not 24 hours

later and investigations should be more thorough. E.g. Brady landfill was not thoroughly

checked.

o The Police need to understand the marginalized women who are exploited on the streets are

human beings also. People drive by them, call them down, and mistreat them and don’t take

the time to stop and ask them if they are okay. The Winnipeg Police and RCMP are building

relationships with the women, but it needs to be more, not just the same four officers but all

officers in the district. This district’s officers need to be educated.

o Stop referring to “Johns” as “Johns” they are perpetrators. They are coming in from the

suburbs and using these women.

Transitional Programming and Support

o Once people come out of prison, they get placed at Salvation Army, where they get caught in

the cycle. Women are also part of their own cycle that starts with being on the street.

Institutionalization is a big issue with our people.

o Before people are released from incarceration, there should be a housing coordinator

involved to find them an apartment and a job and to help with the transition. How do you

expect people to rehabilitate when they know nothing else from what they’ve been through?

They are set up for failure.

o People come out of prison and their mind is still in jail and they haven’t dealt with what is

going on in their heads but what chance do they have in a place like Salvation Army?

o Programming for incarcerated people needs to be evaluated on a quarterly basis by an

outside agency that understands the needs of the community

o There are few programs available to youth when they are released into the community – they

are just given bus tickets and then let go. They go to Sally Ann, and are just recruited there

to sell drugs, and then picked up again in a revolving door.

o It is extremely difficult to get out of the gang lifestyle and if you do get out, you don’t feel safe.

There needs to be more programs for those gang members trying to get out of the lifestyle.

Many programs and resources won’t allow youth to attend if they have any affiliation with

gangs.

o Gang members or anyone associated with gangs aren’t allowed access to resources

(E.g. Not allowed to play basketball in certain areas or to participate in programming).

More Gang Exit Programs are needed.

Services for Youth / Child Welfare

o Kids come and access services but there is no one is there to help them. Frustrating and

exhausting place to be to see a system that does not seem to be working for anyone.


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o Even kids that grow up in a good home still aren’t safe because what if they get mistaken for

someone else by other youth, especially in the North End.

o Know of a young girl who committed suicide after seeing the police come to the house to

arrest her father. Suicide has a big effect on this generation of youth.

o We have seen youth from our community on the list of missing children. We call and no one

comes, and they stay on the list even though we know where they are.

o Children and the youth are marginalized because of child welfare and justice involvement.

There’s something not going right within those systems that kids continue to repeat and it’s a

revolving door. Kids come into child welfare, they end up in jail, they get moved to a group

home and may not follow the strict rules of the home, and end up doing something that

results in a charge. The child welfare system is criminalizing our youth. How do we break the

cycle and have them stay in school and pull themselves out of poverty?

o Kids need to be taught early enough about the damage that drugs can cause.

o We need more places throughout the city for healing, not just Thunderbird House. More

before and after school programs like are being planned at R.B. Russell. It needs to start

with the children. At Children of the Earth, Elders go and sit with them and they can talk

about anything. In the past the Elders took youth down to Selkirk and had a little ceremony.

We need to do more things like that. The more they learn about the Seven Teachings and

about the culture and traditions, the better they feel.

o Youth need more sports and things to do in the community (24 hours drop-in centre.).

o Gangs make the community unsafe, we need more gang prevention.

o We need more programs to keep us youth busy.

o We need to focus on prostitution and finding ways to ensure we as youth don’t fall into that

lifestyle.

o A walking school bus would improve community safety especially for children who live on the

edge of the community.

o Community centre staff should walk kids home.

CITIZEN IDEAS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

Alternative Justice

o Community Justice Forum (Restorative Justice) brings victimized and offending

individuals together and their respective families, with a facilitator to discuss the

incident. Creates accountability and responsibility and punishment is decided upon

mutually between the two sides.

o The police should be able to use their discretion to charge an individual or find an

alternative path, creating a multi-disciplinary approach.

o More diversions to help people not go to jail and avoid the ” education” that occurs in

jail and often leads into the “revolving door” path of being in and out of justice system.

o Why isn’t community service a punishment option anymore? There should be an

abundance of chances as we’re all humans and will make mistakes.

o Once someone has a criminal past it is held against them. Once they have learned

from their mistakes and shouldn’t continue being judged on those mistakes.


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o Past charges create a revolving door in the Justice system. Individuals should be able

to go to court and bring their advocates to assist them in removing charges so they can

move on with their lives. Past charges make it difficult to find employment and people

end up spending their time trying to stay away from the justice system.

o Incarceration does not assist human growth it actually impedes it. It doesn’t teach

human interaction or offer the tools to assist people in getting out of the “revolving

door” of the system.

o There should be a holistic ranch to teach human interaction and instill a sense of

community (as a prevention mechanism).

Community Engagement

o More positive community interaction with WPS.

Continued dialogue with the community, especially with youth. Know what is going on

in the communities.

Community events with police attendance (sport activity, bouncers, BBQ, age

appropriate games) to allow youth to interact with WPS.

Have police interact with people from the North End, so they see the good side of

things.

o More foot and bicycle patrols to make officers more approachable.

o More visibility of police, more police walking the streets. This makes them more approachable

and lessens the fear of police.

o Crime prevention activities like education workshops on how to keep our houses safe, proper

use of windows, alarm systems etc.

o We need to get citizens more involved in reporting crimes.

Youth Engagement

o The police force needs to reach out to the younger children, especially the ones that have

seen the police threaten their parents, otherwise they will grow up with fear of the police.

o Police need to come to Youth Council (and similar programs) to talk about drugs and the

negative consequences of crime and share stories of kids who got involved in drugs. They

can update youth on the type of work they are doing and what they are focusing on in the

community. Police could teach defense techniques and share tips on how to stay safe and

we [the youth] could teach them about the new things that we are seeing on the street.

o It is a good idea to have police officers in the school to talk to the kids and teach us about

how to stay safe. Schools could also have a security guard who could help educate kids on

safety.

o There is a need for a youth council that attends advisory meetings advocating for youth

to the WPS and WPB.

o There needs to be a way for youth to bring forward their concerns or issues, e.g. a

special youth police contact number.

o Police newsletters that highlights recent changes within the police service. More use of

social media (Facebook groups or hash tags).


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o Opportunities for WPS to partner and create relationships with youth criminal justice

programs to assist youth in the system and when they are released.

Police Policies and Response

o Police need to follow up on crimes committed and solve them.

o Better response times.

o Acknowledge and address police brutality.

o Police should be helping out the homeless by connecting them to the right resources rather

than simply picking them up. There doesn’t seem to be programs in place to deal with things

that aren’t really the responsibility of the police.

o There is a need for a bias free policing policy to address racial profiling.

o Use of cadets for traffic violations to free up police resources.

o Zero tolerance for ‘domestic disturbance” related offences because of the high volume

of these types of calls.

o Police sensitivity and interpersonal communication training.

o Check medical situation of detainees before they are placed in the intoxication unit (drunk

tank). Ex. Friend placed in drunk tank died because they did not receive medical care.

o Recruit and hire more Aboriginal people into the WPS especially in leadership roles.

o Should not have male and female riding in cruiser cars together – feels that the males exhibit

alpha dog tendencies in this situation.

o Need to create dialogue to address systemic racism and create awareness and

understanding within the WPS. WPS should use conflict to create improvement.

Health, social, recreational services

o Hospital staff isn’t of capable of dealing with at risk populations and often check them

out to not have to deal with them. There is a need for more trained professionals to

treat and deal with at risk populations and more hospital staff equipped to deal with at

risk youth specifically.

o Give kids and adults more access to sport or cultural programs to keep them busy in a

positive way – programming, transportation, crafts, educational programs etc.

o Keeping the community clean could be an activity in partnership with the City to clean up an

area and then devise a schedule to maintain its cleanliness and safety.

o Many social programming resource organizations have limited resources and hours of

operation making it difficult for people to access services when they are needed. E.g. Called

to get help for an at risk youth and someone would not come to get them, and was asked to

put the at risk youth on a bus and send them to another location to get the help they needed.

o Funding should be redirected from “new cars” to social programming (with a focus on

prevention).

o We need more programs to prevent youth involvement with crime as well as an increased

police presence. Youth need to be a part of “something” to feel good, so it is important to

have positive groups available to help mitigate the attraction to gangs where they are part of

a group and feel like “they belong”.


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o More access to youth employment programs like “The Future is Yours”.

o More resources to work with gang members in the community and ensuring they are

aware of the resources.

o Need for an identity is a major reason why youth end up in gangs. Dialogue with youth,

and elders (heal from the ground up) and programming that involves the whole

community is needed to rebuild a constructive identity.

o Native youth need an identity and to know who they are, about their culture and

language and create self-esteem.

o CFS and child welfare services require more partnerships.

o More parenting classes available for parents.

o More programming for all communities, especially newcomers to Winnipeg, to remove them

from at risk locations and ensure they have the access to the necessary resources to

acclimate to a new community.

o Poverty and homelessness are the issues that need to be the focus in order to get to the root

causes.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?

Reduction in crime and violence.

o No gangs, drugs abuse, neglect of children etc.

o Aboriginal women and girls are not missing and murdered.

o Reduction in all crimes across the board.

o Finding out who is taking the Indigenous women and making sure more don’t go missing.

o Peaceful communities.

Strong families, social systems

o Strong communities starting with strong families, that feel they have access to everything

they need to raise their kids well.

o Parents feeling they can call police to support them in parenting (and CFS will not just show

up).

o More healthy Elders in communities.

o Community supports in place to teach about drugs, violence, prostitution etc.

o Parents teaching at home, with community support.

o A child getting something to eat that hasn’t eaten in a while.

o Not just the police who have responsibility, parents have responsibility. Zero tolerance for

parents mistreating their children. The community needs to stand up to watch over the

neighborhood and the children.

o Youth have lots of opportunities and are valued.

o A community without crime and parents who are committed to their kids, kids are taught how

to treat others.

o Everyone working on the root causes of the problems.

o More positive role modeling.

o Better parenting skills.


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o More Aboriginal youth graduating from high school.

o Higher employment rate.

o Less poverty.

o Spirituality and culture being used as a mechanism for prevention or rehabilitation. Leave

women and children in the home and take men out to a camp with Elders to assist them in

rehabilitating using traditional cultural healing.

o When the child welfare system has significantly fewer kids in care and the prisons have much

fewer inmates.

o More education sessions for all aspects of society.

o Safe guard for women and men after domestic abuse. Often men are removed from the

home and dropped off at another location and often end up coming right back.

o Solutions that deal with the root causes of the issue rather than criminalizing.

o More programs for young men in distress, sex trade, etc.

Fewer Aboriginals involved in justice system.

o More diversion

o All factors taken into consideration when dealing with perpetrators.

o More restorative justice, rehabilitation,

o Recidivism is reduced.

Better relationships between police and community.

o Respectful communication and interaction between people without prejudice.

o Increased approachability of police.

o More dialogue between community members and police through more community meetings,

newsletters, youth advocacy, etc.

o Public awareness that the WPS is working with the Indigenous people of the community so

that they can have a better understanding. Regular dialogue between these two groups,

structure if necessary.

o People are not afraid of the police.

o The ability to walk down the street as a female youth, or Aboriginal woman and not get

racially profiled by police. Aboriginal women are racially profiled as sex trade workers.

o Success will be when Police are considered an important part of community and people want

them in the community.

o Youth space in new public safety building with scheduled programming that engages youth in

the community.

o Reflect Aboriginal culture in the new public safety building (Ex. Circle Room and the ability to

Smudge).

o More young Aboriginal people wanting to be on the police force.

o Success must be measureable and look at statistics, what the police say and report is

punitive, need to shift dialogue to what is positive. E.g. having more community meetings,

how many opportunities are there to help build the community?

o Aboriginal people involved in decision making.


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o Success is realizing what it means to be a human, not stuck in a system.

o Less paramilitary force and more emphasis on community relations.

Responsive, Respectful Police Service

o More transparency in the processes of policing and why they do business the way they do it.

Third party investigations into complaints again police officers with release of the

ruling as well as the prevention suggestions added to public record.

o Respect and dignity in police interactions

There would be less fear of being disrespected by the police.

No harassment of youth on the street.

Abuse from police officers on Aboriginal/ Indigenous people needs to stop.

o WPS follow through with the suggestions that are made.

o Police truly wanting to know what people need. e.g. A ride home.

o Success would be police presence in the neighborhood, especially in certain trouble areas.

o Police show up whenever you call and get to every call and quicker response times.

o Increased integrity in the WPS demonstrated by keeping their promises. Ex. Brady land fill

search that was cut short.

o Balanced WPS strategic plan in place (physical, emotional, mental, spiritual etc).

o Proactive policing as opposed to reactive.

o More cadets in the North End.

o Less racism and same treatment for all.

o More respect for victims of crime.

o Moving beyond cultural competency to where ideas are ingrained in how the police conduct

themselves.

o Native people can tell they are not getting the right level of attention because they are Native.

CULTURAL, SOCIAL OR OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IMPORTANT FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY AND POLICING:

Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity

o More mandatory cultural sensitivity and awareness training for police officers.

WPS sensitivity training to LGBTQ community.

o Cultural awareness training should be on a more frequent basis, not just a 3 week course.

It should be elders teaching these classes. There is a good resource at the Remand

Centre.

o Police need to know about the Seven Teachings, the Holy Medicine Wheel and the about the

Circle of Courage so they understand how to engage with us. We could teach them about

our cultural traditions and how to work with us on crime prevention and policing.

o Culturally sensitive information is important to know for WPS. E.g. Burning sage often

misunderstood as drugs.

o Police should know about family dynamics in the Aboriginal culture and how its history has

impacted the family makeup and family dynamics. It would help them to understand how we

feel about particular things.

o WPS participating in cultural events so they are aware and understand the cultural sensitivity.


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o Police should sit on boards of Aboriginal communities and be involved in Aboriginal

ceremonies.

o Importance of values, sense of worth that people have for themselves and others. Need to

instill these values in society (basic values come from religions) this will help dissolve the root

causes of the problems.

o With a very diverse population in Winnipeg, community involvement helps us all learn about

each other.

o Have interpreters or officers with Aboriginal language skills available.

o City needs to hire more Aboriginal people and police need to hire more people that are

underrepresented.

o Increased number of Aboriginal and Newcomer police officers.

Understand the trauma that has been experienced by Aboriginal people

o Residential School sensitivity and awareness training should be done in a more intense way

to demonstrate the experience properly and the impacts that resulted.

o Traumatic experiences still occurring in CFS and child welfare system with children being

plucked out of communities and communities will collapse with their future being removed.

o Police should learn about what happened to people in residential schools, and the severe

effects they have had on the community.

Respect for diversity regardless of economic circumstances

o Police need to remain open minded about the types of people in the North End and be aware

that there are good people doing good work. The police should use those people to increase

their scope and impact of their good work and learn about what works in the community.

o WPS need to appreciate diversity. Privileged citizens need to understand that they don’t own

and run the world and are no better but they need to understand how privileged they are and

have an understanding of their place and the position of the Aboriginal community.

o Police need to appreciate their role and that they can’t be judging people because of what

they don’t have.

o Culture of poverty is not part of the Aboriginal culture; it was learned from other cultures.

Youth and Parenting

o Parenting of teens is an important social consideration that needs more attention. Parents

struggle to raise their kids and don’t have all of the information. Police should question what

the parents and kids need so they can try and facilitate access to necessary resources. There

should be a meeting that is focused on dialogue rather than on police action.

Teaching in the home how to live healthy lives when they are young.

Starts at home, parents taking responsibility to teach kids.

o Need people in the community to be role models.

o In school there should be values teaching.

o Police need to give the message that they are here to keep the kids safe, teach them their

rights not threaten them.


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o Youth Advisory Group to work with WPS on youth issues.

Community Communication and Engagement

o Regular meetings between community and the police department.

o WPS and the community finding common ground to help achieve their goals.

o Ensure WPS are engaging the Aboriginal community not just a non-Aboriginal organization

that is serving Aboriginal people

o WPS community outreach is important because some who are the most troubled do not have

the time or resources to come to the police to participate in consultations etc.

Participate in what’s going on in the community.

Communication can be done at the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre.

Police participating in community events because they want to, and giving them the

opportunity to get to know the community and become more familiar with the diverse

populations.

Making it mandatory for WPS to engage with people in the community in a positive

way.

o Community needs to better understand the role of police and police should not be confused

with social services.

o There should be a liaison between the police and the community.

Maybe this could be the cadets.

Community organizations can be the liaison between police and community.

Elders should have a greater role to teach in the community, need for an Elder’s

Council.

o Community needs to have the ability to question authority without fear.

o People should follow the non-religious Moral code of 21 precepts called “The way to

happiness”. It worked for the country of Colombia and is spreading to other countries in South

America.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

o Having programs that WPS puts in place where they use the law to empower the community

and their power to assist people in bettering their lives in ways that don’t result in the criminal

justice system.

o WPS should find a way to work with people to ensure their criminal records don’t impede

them for the rest of their lives by preventing them from finding employment or moving on with

their lives.

o Counseling or outreach workers should be with the police officer to explain to people what is

happening, help them deal with what is going on, and explain to them what their options are.

o Recognition by police that they should not abusive when dealing with community. They

should create relationships and not use intimidation as a method of dealing with community.

o Police were called to deal with a youth but by the time they arrived the situation had been

diffused and the youth was no longer causing a problem but they still arrested the youth in


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front of his friends. Maybe in the future they could have talked to him and the community

workers that were there before so quickly moving to an arrest.

o There should be more community participation in training recruits and current officers.

o How many people are currently incarcerated for “breach of probation: related offences?

o Want to know how many domestic abuse calls are repeat calls.

o Before next consultations consult with Aboriginal community about how to do a consultation

and ensure a police officer is sitting at every table.

o WPS should continue regular meetings with community groups.

o Need to continue with consultations on an ongoing basis to continue gaining insight.

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2014 Consultations - Meeting Summaries - Winnipeg Police Board · 2018-04-27 · 2014 Public...

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